The Takeaway: Would Hamas complicate US plans for reset with Palestinians? Also: the back story on the spat between Israel and Jordan; Gulf post-COVID economic trends; Turkey’s Kurds; Egypt and Somalia; and more! Originals
Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Seif, who had been in pretrial detention since June, was convicted Wednesday of spreading false news and misusing social media. Egypt
Ukraine rejects Iran's final report on downed passenger plane The Iranian government said last year's shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was the result of a human error. Iran
Palestinians receive first batch of vaccines through COVAX More than 60,000 doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived in Ramallah on Wednesday. Palestine
Qatar Airways to cut jobs The Gulf airline continues to fly to destinations worldwide while other regional carriers have stopped nearly all of their flights. Qatar
The Takeaway: Is Iran rethinking its role in Syria? Also, China’s COVID diplomacy gains ground in Mideast; Turkey’s homophobes; Israel unity government will support gay parents; Oman’s shrinking wealth fund; more! Originals
Turkey's finance minister assures investors as lira slides As Turkey’s currency neared record lows Wednesday, Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak worked to reassure investors in a rare conference call. Turkey
Turkey's relative coronavirus success may turn sour amid looming economic crisis Turkey’s COVID-19 balance sheet: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has had relative success in combat against the outbreak, but a financial collapse could be on the horizon. Turkey
Yemen’s Houthis announce first coronavirus case While 21 previous cases had been reported in areas controlled by the internationally recognized government, the real figure in the war-wracked country is likely far higher. Yemen
Bahrain eases coronavirus restrictions, allowing shops to reopen Beginning Thursday, shops and industrial businesses in the Gulf kingdom can resume business, though some restrictions remain in place. Bahrain
Saudi Arabia braces for economic impact Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council states must make dramatic cuts in spending, and not just on megaprojects, as unsustainably large annual deficits have arrived. Legacy: Gulf
IRGC soldiers killed in Kurdish area of Iran Iranian media reported that unknown gunmen killed three IRGC soldiers in Iran's Kurdistan province. Iraq
Houthis fire ballistic missiles despite Yemen cease-fire, say Saudis A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has accused the Iran-aligned rebels of launching ballistic missiles in violation of a unilateral cease-fire. Saudi Arabia
US ambassador’s annexation comments please Israeli right Israel's political right is delighted by US Ambassador David Friedman's support for the nascent government's annexation plans. Palestine
Gaza rocket shakes calm on border with Israel After 40 days of calm and with ongoing contacts to arrange a prisoner-swap deal a rocket was fired from Gaza at Israel’s southern communities. Palestine
UAE rejects Pakistani claim it is exporting virus The UAE said it tests everyone leaving the country and bars infected individuals from traveling, but Pakistan says up to half of those repatriated on some flights had COVID-19. United Arab Emirates
